The Adventures of Two Lab Rats
by panda8785
Summary: Kanana and Karoro are both children raised under the military's watch. They have been test subjects for 7 years, but more is to come as their IQ level rapidly reaches that of a college graduate. What will happen next? I'll only write in this when I have writer's block on Emimi: The Keronian Prodigy (But there will be some references to that in this, if you want more details) R&R!
1. Pilot

It was an average day for a pair of seven year old twins. First was tests, next was training in agility and problem solving, and finally they got the privaliage to wind down infront of the t.v.

"Kanana?" The younger male asked the older female.

"Yeah, Karoro?" The older responded monotonicaly to the younger.

"Do you know why we're here again?"

"What do you mean? It's the daily routine?"

"No, I mean why we're here in the first place."

"Because our parents gave up on raising us, and gave us up to the military to make a 'Super Keronian.' That's my theory, at least." She went into a slight depressed state.

"But, how come we aren't allowed to come into contact with the other kids?"

"They wouldn't understand us. We've been trained in statistics, we cannot die, and we'd finish the mile runs without breaking a sweat. We'd be the laughing stock."

"I guess I can understand that." He laid down onto his stomach, "Even so, I read an artical, that they may not have checked before they gave it to us, that said children who are raised without social contact have a less likely chance to survive in the real would."

"They probably gave you that artical to taunt us. We are the military's lab rats; we'll never be able to see the outside world."

**_See on deviantart for pictures of Kanana and Karoro. I will often post more as the story proceeds _**


	2. A Mother Figure

Clank! There was a knock on the steel door the two children were in.

"Kanana? Karoro? It's time for your lessons." The usual male voice hollered.

"We'll be out in a minute!" The identical twins responded, already used to the routine. When they got to the appropriate building, they saw a young, pink female talking to the head scientist, "Emimi!" The tadpoles cheered and hugged the older Keronian. They were always excited whenever Emimi came to visit, because that meant they were going to play a game.

"Hey you two!" She smiled a tender, motherly smile then turned back to the older man, "I'll talk to you later."

They walked into a room with two one-way mirror walls, that the children were well aware of. They all sat on the floor next to a coffee table as Emimi pulled out a red box from a usually locked bookshelf, "What are we playing today?" Karoro piped.

"I think you guys are smart enough to appreciate Apples to Apples."

"How come you're the only one who treats us like we have thoughts and feelings?" Karara asked, almost blandly.

"The others... don't treat you the same?" She asked slowly.

"No, they treat us like the underlings." She looked toward the ground, "Like how those bullies treat the smart kids in the comics we've been given."

"I think they give you those comics because they want you to be tough like the bullies. In reality, though, the smart kids rank supreme. They are the one's who are more likely to be strategically capable, and it makes me proud that you see yourselves as the 'nerds' instead of the 'bullies.'" She laughed, "And it doesn't surprise me that they treat you harsher." The twins looked up at their elder in bewilderment, "I was one of very few who didn't see the purpose of this program, but the General that I work under approved, so I think my vote was discarded."

"What is school like?" They suddenly asked.

"School's exactly like the lessons you guys have been given." She responded with a quizzical look.

"No," Kanana waved her arms frantically, "we mean like with peers and jokes and that of the like."

"Well," She looked at the ceiling, wondering what to say, "it's two years of early optional, five years of primary, four years of secondary, and four years of late optional."

"So, that's fifteen years of school?" Karoro laughed, wondering how someone could last that long.

"Hey! The best times of my life took place in school. Besides, Pekopon's stuck with eighteen years, saying that you take all optionals."

"How old were you when you graduated?" Kanana looked up in utter curiosity.

"I exceeded my age level and graduated at nineteen. My cousin and most of my friends all graduated at twenty one." She opened a trap door and pulled out a box of doughnuts, thinking that the children wouldn't pay attention.

"How long has that been there?"

"Seven years, in case I go on a binge. I programmed a system in it to keep the food preserved. I'm not giving you guys the password though." Her voice got quieter, "Maybe this is why my nephew is developing a food obsession and a sharing problem."

"How old's your nephew?" They cheered.

"I believe he's nine. You guys have a lot of questions." She set the box onto the table, "Are you like this with the other scientists?"

"No." They looked at the walls, "We don't like the other scientists." They both took a doughnut from the box and gave it to the other, linking arms.

"Well, I'm very touched." They played their game, ate doughnuts, and then they heard a beep, signaling that it's time for their next class to start, "Well, next is battle strategy." She picked up the box, "I wish you guys the best of luck. You'll do great!"

"Do come back soon!" They waved goodbye.

Emimi walked out of the door and went into a room with one wall a panel of glass.

The head scientist saluted, "Jun sho, Ma'am!"

"At ease, Chui." She sighed.

"May I ask, Ma'am, why you treat them like children?"

"They ARE children. Am I the only one who even remembers that?"

"You'll soften them."

She watched Kanana decapitate a wooden dummy, "That doesn't look like soft to me."

"THAT is a sugar rush."

"What about the times I didn't give them sugar?"

"Which was when, exactly?"

"They just need someone who cares."

"They NEED to be headstrong." There was a long silence.

"I've heard word that I may be sent to Pekopon. I may not be there for them soon."

"I understand your concern, since you don't have children of your own, but-"

"I'm too young to have kids anyways. I do have an arranged marriage, though. He's abusive, so if I do leave for Pekopon, I hope it's soon. If not, I guess it's God's way of punishing me for being atheist."

"I thought you were one to be the most religious."

"If I were the one to be the most religious, we wouldn't have had that problem in high school. I was the one who brought the plethora of good alcohol." She laughed, remembering the recordings that they found a few days after that event.

"We all made a promise NEVER to bring that up."

"Fine." She bit into a doughnut.

"You're going to get fat one of these days."

"Come at me bro. What are you going to do about it?" He swung his arm and she dodged, "Lieutenant, I am not the Brigadier General for no reason. Please also keep in mind that I was at the top of out grade for nine consecutive years."

"Yeah, yet you still have never dated anyone?" He mocked.

"Do not have me request your demotion."

He sighed in defeat, "I've suggested to the General that the children are to be enlisted into a platoon as Privates."

"You mean meat shields?!"

"Yes, he's considering it as we speak."

"This is mutiny. They're only seven."

"They cannot die. They need to be put into real life situations."

"They CAN die as long as their vital organs are taken and left out of their bodies."

"The platoon they'll be under won't be told about their case. This is their chance to be treated like an average."

"Well... I ... Uh..." She hated herself for even considering putting the only two children she'd ever have in danger, "I have to go home."

"I hope you get the mission to conquer! You'll be famous if you succeed!"

* * *

Later that night, Emimi indeed get the call for the invasion plan. She left her house as soon as possible and visited the young identicals. Clank! She felt the metal instantly freeze her hand.

"It's too early for lessons!" A voice whined.

"It's me. Please open up." She shuddered a little, wondering how to break the news to the innocents. The two adorable tadpoles walked out. She set down her luggage and kneeled down.

"Is everything alright?" Kanana asked, groggily.

"I have to go really far away, and I don't know when I'm comming back. I just came to say goodbye." She tried to hold back a few tears.

They both looked like they were about to cry, "Did we do something wrong?" They asked in perfect sync, "D-do you hate us?"

She leaned in and hugged the shaking children, "I don't hate you. If it were up to me, I'd stay."

"Then, why are you going?" Karoro sniffled.

"Because it's not up to me. Kanana, look after your brother, and Karoro, your sister. Please just promise me one thing."

"What?" They started to tear up. They showed true strength by not being afraid to show emotion.

She could feel herself choke up. She was so close to crying with the two, "P-promise me, if you ever get into an argument, NEVER result to physical assult."

They clung tighter to their only mother figure, afraid that if they let go, she'll dissipate, "W-we promise."

She stood up and grabbed something out of her suit case, "I want you two to have this." She held out an orangish Keronian doll, "Her name's Nuii. She is my childhood treasure. Take good care of her."

Before they were able to even whisper a word, she was gone. They were alone again, this time with tears streaming down their faces.

* * *

"Are you ready for take off?" The Lieutenant in charge of the twins asked the younger, pink female.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Who cares if all the family photos that I brought were thrown away?" She sighed.

"You actually tried to bring those? That's a sign of weakness."

"A sign of weakness would to have not brought them. I'd rather not be afraid to show emotion than to fear it and have it cloud my mind in battle. Did you not learn that from the War of Fire?"

"That was brutal. We're lucky we survived."

"Darn straight. Most of those we knew died. I just wonder if I'm dead sometimes, thinking that my punishment is to think I'm living. The guilt from not have died myself is worse than the injuries we suffered within our lifetime."

"Yeah. Only twenty of us just from the senior and junior year of high school survived."

"Well, let's cheer up! This is an invasion, not the start of mass destruction." She tried to laugh.

"Yeah. Let's never reminisce into that again." There was silence.

"I hope for your sake that you don't use Plan Alpha One on those kids."

"That was denied before we were eligible for that. They're safe as long as they reject the idea of bringing it back."

"If they do bring it back, please don't have those kids go through that. My brother said that it breaks down someone more than it builds them up."

"The General of the Army is claiming 'Mutiny' on it. Unless he's demoted, there's no way it will pass." They heard a megaphone saying that the next shuttle is about to leave.

"Well," she saluted, "this is goodbye. I may not come back, so I wish you a long life."

"Syonara, Emimi The Keronian Prodigy."

She laughed, agreeing that the title had a good right to it, and maybe she'll write her life story with that title, "Syonara, Tekoko. Owari made."

**Hey! So I know this isn't completely with the main characters, but I had to give some background information. Every once in a while, I use Japanese in my story, so be sure to check down here at the bottom of the page for meanings.**

**Owari made - Until the end.**

**Chui - Lieutenant**

**Jun Sho - Brigadier General**


	3. Capabilities and Limits

"March! March! In time with each other! Left! Right! Left! Right! Hault!' Out of all their hate, the one they despised most was their Drill Sergeant.

"Um, Sir?" Kanana piped.

"Did I give you permission to speak?!"

"No. I apologize."

"Drop and give me fifty!" She did so, sweat dripping down her face by the time she had gotten up, "Is there anything you'd like to say?!"

"Yes, Sir! May we please have a short water break, Sir?"

"There are no water breaks on the battle field!"

"Yes, Sir, but there is still water on your person on the battle field."

"Drop and give me another twenty!" She did so and stood back up, "Is there anything you'd like to say now?!"

"I don't care if you dehydrate me, Sir, but please let my brother take a short break to replenish his energy." There was a short pause.

"You, on the ground. Push ups until he gets back."

"Kanana, you don't have to do this." He tried to stop his sister, "I'm fine."

She kneeled onto the ground, "Just go. I made a promise to look after you and look after you I will."

He ran to the closest water fountain, but got lost on the way back, "Kanana? How do we g-" He turned around to see his sister wasn't there, "Oh yeah, I'm alone, aren't I?" He ran down the halls and didn't find the room for another half an hour.

"Where were you?!" The Drill Sergeant yelled.

"I'm sorry, Sir! I must've gotten lost. It won't happen again, Sir!" He watched his sister slowly, and barely, stand up.

"I don't understand why they say you guys are platoon quality." He sighed quietly, but the twins were still able to hear. There was a buzz that signaled class was over, and Kanana let herself fall to the ground. She was then unconscious.

"Oh my." A female stepped into the room, "Looks like he worked you guys pretty hard there. How about we wind down with some statistics?" She smiled an obviously false smile, hoping it would sooth the only conscious child.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Karoro looked over to his sister, who had just regained consciousness. It was late at night, and they were already in their room.

"I'm fine." She sluggishly got up and grabbed a peach from a brown paper bag next to her, "Did someone bring these?"

"I found them in the cafeteria. They gave them to me for free. Isn't that nice of them?"

"It's only because they know that we don't have any money in the first place. They keep a tab on us so that the head scientist knows to pay it off. I know; I've been gathering food while you've been asleep since we could walk."

"That's all the way on the other side of this base we're on. Is that why you know the place like the back of your hand?"

"I guess. What ever species DNA they injected into us, it's strange." She looked down at her hands, "We have improved smell and hearing, our wounds close up as long as a vital organ like the heart is still in the body, and, as I've over heard, we have a memory capacity of an adult. I just wonder sometimes."

"That was sudden, wasn't it?"

"I just don't think we're normal children anymore." There was silence.

"Earlier, I could've held out for the remainder of the time."

"Physically, yes. Emotionally, though, you were about to break. I knew you'd get lost, so I took advantage of that and gave you time to calm down."

"I was scared! That was the first time I've ever been consiously separated from you!"

"Don't fight with me; that's exactly what they want." She said in a hushed voice.

"What?"

She listened to hear if anyone was near, and she could only hear two heart beats (Her's and her brother's), "Have you heard of Plan Alpha One?"

"Emimi mentioned it once. She never went in depth, though."

"I over heard it once. I didn't want to tell you until I knew you wouldn't crumble at the thought. It starts with getting you to fight with the one that you're closest to... a-and later on, they put you in a room with them, and are not allowed to leave until you kill them. They used to use this in high school, making only half of the class eligible for graduation. They used this ruthless method to create a killer they called the 'Absolute Soldier.'"

He sat there for a minute, absorbing and processing the data. He ran up to his slightly older sister and hugged her, "I'm sorry."

An hour or two of TV later, and alarm went off, "Privates Second Class Kanana and Karoro, please report to the General of the Army's office. An escort will be of service if necessary." It said in a static-like sound. Had they been promoted? They did as they were told.

"Privates Kanana and Karoro, I presume." They had never really seen the General of the Army before, but they assumed that this was him.

"Yes, Sir." They saluted.

"Welcome to the military. This will be different from your regular training with your immobile targets. I've heard well of your weapon skills. Polish them now, because soon they'll be stained with blood. I'll have you transferred to a platoon tonight. Gather anything necessary and report back here." He was very straight forward.

"Sir, yes Sir!" They returned and gathered Kanana's twin swords and Karoro's Scythe. They grabbed Nuii, put her in a bag, and left. When they got back, they saw three males with the General of the Army.

"Speak of the devils." The General looked back at the children.

"These are our Privates?" One questioned. He appeared to be in his late adolescents.

"They seem a bit to young." Said another, with white still on his face. He seemed like he was still in high school.

"Never the less, even the Brigadier General herself saved a school at a young age. Please show them to the ship, Toruru." The one who looked like the commander ordered.

"Why me?" The tadpole mumbled and walked out the door. The twins followed.

"Is this as punishment?" The commander asked the General.

"Major, I assure you, they are fully capable." He responded.

"They're going to die on this mission."

"They are fully capable." He repeated.

"We'll see about that." He started to walk off.

"They have Emimi's bravery." The General said on the Major's way out.

"Do they?" He smirked, "Then maybe they do stand a chance." He left and the other followed his leader.

"Major Ralulu, Sir?" Asked the slightly younger Keronian.

"Yes, Koruru?" He turned his head.

"By 'Emimi's bravery,' does he mean the one who was sent to Pekopon?"

"Yes. We've been pretty close since the War of Fire. If it's true that they have her bravery, they may last long enough to see further than just the stars."


	4. The Vast Universe:Only the Beginning

"Here's the ship. Don't break anything." Toruru sighed. The twins ran up towards the ship where they were confronted by a guard. He took their one backpack and inspected it.

"What's this?" He questioned, holding up Nuii.

"It's a treasure that we promised to take care of." Kanana answered monotonically. The guard thew it away and let them proceed onto the ship.

"I hate this." Karoro whined.

"You shouldn't have brought that anyways. The military does a routine inspection for whenever someone goes onto a ship. If there's any sign of weakness or threat, it's discarded." Toruru sighed, "But they don't check the rooms on the ship, so if there's anything that you find on another planet that you'd like to keep, bring it onto the ship and leave it in whatever room the Major assigns you to."

"Thank you for letting us know." Kanana laughed a little.

"You guys want something to eat?"

"Yes please." The twins said in sync.

He laughed, "Alright, I'll be back in a few." He walked into a room.

"Privates!" The Major stepped in.

"Yes, Sir?" They saluted.

"At ease." They lowered their arms, "I hope you understand that this isn't your average game of 'Space Frog.' This is real life. If you're expecting someone to not kill you on the battlefield because you are children, you may be wrong. You will refer to me as Major Ralulu. He," he motioned to the man next to him, "Is Lieutenant Koruru, and you've already met Corporal Toruru. We are a bit of a more laid back platoon when it comes to formalities, so there is no need to call us sir. If you talk when on a base would be considered out of turn, you will not be punished, unless I am explaining a mission or giving commands."

"Uh, I don't know whether to thank you or show some concern about you not inforcing the training the military gives their soldiers." Kanana laughed awkwardly.

"I'm back! I hope you're not allergic to potatoes or sugar!" Toruru came running in with three bags of chips and three soda cans, "Oh? Major? Lieutenant? I thought you'd be gone for a little while longer."

"Well, the General didn't really have much to say." The Lieutenant walked up to Toruru, "I forgot to check on you earlier. How's your sanity?"

"You're going to make the Privates think I'm mentally unstable." He sat onto the ground.

"Are you?" Kanana asked.

"No, he's not. He just has some insane ideas so it became a habit for me to ask that of him." Koruru chuckled.

"May I ask what's with the bracelets?" Karoro looked at his officials' arms and leg.

"It's a platoon thing." The Major answered, "You guys will get one eventually."

"Then how come the Lieutenant's is on his ankle instead of his wrist like your?"

"I'll tear my labcoat if that were the case." Koruru picked up the question master.

"The scientists have labcoats too." Karoro said, shaking slightly.

"I am technically a scientist. I did major in Health."

"I thought you were in your late adolecence."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I look younger for my age, but I'm only a year younger than the Major."

"So you're a doctor?"

"Karoro." Kanana piped, "If you keep asking questions, you're going to make him feel uncomfortable. Remember Furoro?"

He faced his sister, "I-I'm sorry..." He turned his head back to the one still carrying him, "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."

"Honestly, you just make me like you even more. Don't worry about being yourself! That's our moto around here!"

"So we can be who we want to be, not what others tell us to be?"

"Yeah! You guys aren't only kids, you have a mind of your own, and you need to express yourself." He set the kid down.

"Lieutenant, would you like to show them to their rooms? I have some paperwork that I need to finish before we launch." The Major started to walk off.

"Aight, Ralulu!"

"Can I request that we be in the same room?" Kanana asked.

"No can do. Gender rules still apply here. It'd be different if you were brothers or sisters, but-"

"Please?" She asked, determined to not leave her brother alone, "I wish to not be separated from my brother."

"You guys will only be in your rooms if you want to be alone or to sleep. Besides, your rooms are right next door."

"Please. I cannot let him be alone."

He sighed, "Fine. Only if the Major allows it. You guys can ask him over dinner." She clicked her sword out of its sheath and put it back when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around to see it was Karoro.

"It's fine. We understand the gender rules and will be sent to our own rooms." He smiled at his sister, brightly.

"You said you never wanted to be consciously separated, though." She mumbled in a hushed voice.

He shrugged, "It's only for when we need to go to bed anyways. It's not like I need to be conscious for that."

"Well, now that we all agree," the Lieutenant broke up the conversation, "let's go." They walked down a hall and were confronted by two doors, "The one on the right will be Kanana's. The left is Karoro's. I'm sure we're going to take off soon, so make sure your weapons are secure. If you ever need any medical services, my room is only three doors down on the right."

"Thank you." They thanked the Lieutenant. They walked into their currently empty rooms. In each was a bed, a desk, a window, and a closest.

"Kanana?" Karoro asked through the wall.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"How do I secure my scythe in here?"

She walked around, looking for ideas, "There's a case that looks like it'd be used to store guns in the closest. It has a hand scanning lock on it too, so your scythe might be safe in it." She scanned her hand on the lock and it snapped open. She put her swords in it and locked it back up. After five minutes of wandering, she felt shaking and fell to the floor. After a while, she was able to pull herself back up, "Was that an Earthquake?" She looked outside her window and saw a vast variety of stars and planets. She sat there in utter shock, amazed when she looked at when seemed like down to see Keron. She then realized that the universe was much more than the base she wasn't allowed to leave, let alone the entire planet she was born on.


	5. Results of Being a Lab Rat

Kanana and Karoro left their corridors and explored the ship. Kanana put every room that they found in her memory, and Karoro didn't pay attention to his surroundings.

"There you two are." Toruru was running down the hall, "Dinner's ready. I was told to show you guys where the kitchen is."

"Lead the way!" They cheered. When they entered the room, something smelled undercooked. They were about to cover their noses but realized it would've been rude to the cook.

"Bon appitite!" Koruru smiled. He had cooked some form of space poultry.

"It's undercooked." Kanana said monotonicaly.

"Nonsence. I've made this before, and it was fine. See, it's white on the outside."

"Please check to see if the inside is white. If it is how you say, you may gloat."

He cut into his serving to see the center a bright pink, "Huh? I guess you're right. I'll put these back in the oven." He stood up, put all the plates on a tray, and walked off. After a few minutes, he came back, "How could you tell that? Supposedly, you can only tell when poultry's underdone if you cut into it."

"The General of the Army didn't tell you?" Karoro piped.

"They only said you were 'capable.'" Ralulu sighed.

"Well," he looked at his sister.

"Even though it was cooked on the outside," Kanana interupted her brother' strain of thought, "it still looked different. The military noticed that we can look at something and what it is is embedded in our mind. There are a hundred or so other Keronians on Keron that have this capability."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem." The Major said, "We've been given a mission against a species called Slizonians. Slizonians are insect like creatures about the size of a normal Pekoponian. They have improved hearing and sound, extreme blood lust, rapid regeneration abilities, they can take the Carbon out of their body to make a strong weapon, and their ability with weapons is off the charts. All their abilities are instinctual and they are incapable of straying from instincts. They'll never strike one of their own species, so we might be able to use that to our advantage. Are there any ideas on battle strategy?"

"Kanana?" Karoro asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, Karoro. It sounds like us." She whispered back.

"What are you two talking about?" The Major raised his brow.

"Well," Kanana spoke up, "what if we were to take a vital organ out of their body?"

"And how is that supposed to work? Wouldn't it just grow back?"

"Well, no. Cellular regeneration just means that the cells multiply exponentially faster. For example, the heart cells have more mitochondria than any other cell in the body. If you were to take that out, then no cell is going to be able to replicate themselves and make a working heart."

"That may actually work." Toruru inquired.

"Now I can see why the General put you guys into our platoon!" Koruru laughed.

"How would you guys know that though? You're still toddlers, aren't you?" Ralulu rested his head on his hands.

"We're only seven! There's no need to consider us as a 'toddler!'" They were a little upset.

"Sorry. You guys just seem more promising than the Brigadier General herself." He chuckled.

"Who's the Brigadier General?" Karoro looked up at his superior.

"You don't know the Brigadier General? She was the leader of the only surviving platoon of Military Training High School in the War of Fire."

"They probably don't know about the War of," Koruru started.

"We know about the War of Fire." Kanana remembered, "Even most of the high schoolers weren't officially enlisted, they still had to fight. During the time that Keron had the upper hand, a prodigy came and was given an army of nineteen... All of the students except for the twenty were KIA. I didn't know that Emimi was a Brigadier General, though. Either that or I just wasn't paying attention."

"Does that mean you know Emimi personally?" Ralulu was a little shocked.

"Yeah. She's like a mother to us." Karoro giggled.

"I hate that woman." Toruru mumbled.

"Why? I met her when I went into my Freshman year. She seemed really nice." Koruru sat back down into his seat.

"I HATE HER!" He ran off and we heard a door slam.

"This is why we say 'Brigadier General.'" Ralulu sighed.

"Shouldn't we check on him?" Karoro was staring at the door way.

"He'll be fine. This has happened before." Koruru sighed.

"Shouldn't you be the one concerned the most?" Kanana inquired, "You are a doctor."

"Yeah, believe me, I tried. He's just stubborn." He walked into the kitchen and brought back out the plates, "I'm going to bring Toruru his portion. I'll be back. Go ahead and eat." He left.

"So?" Kanana took a bite of the now slightly overcooked, but still tasteful, meal. Loud music blared. It was audible and they were able to hear every syllable. The twins covered their ears.

"You alright there?" Ralulu questioned the cowering children.

"Fine, fine." Kanana tried to stand back up, and the music stopped.

Koruru came walking back, "I-I d-don't know why he's not deaf." He sat down and started to eat his meal.

"My ears are throbbing, Kanana." Karoro whined.

"That wasn't that loud considering the distance we are from his room." The Major seemed confused.

"It's not supposed to be that loud by the time the door opens, though. Science doesn't work like that." Kanana rubbed her ear.

"You two are bleeding. Let me get my Otoscope." Koruru stood up.

"N-no." Kanana waved her hands, "That won't be necessary."

"You probably broke your eardrums." He walked off and came right back, "Now, sit still."

"You really don't need to do this."

"I am the only doctor on this ship. It only makes sence that I document injuries." He put the Otoscope into her right ear, "I don't see any signs of rupture. It's just a little blood, but everything is sealed... Your eardrum doesn't look Keronian, though."

"My eardrum is that of a child's. You are not a Pediatrician, so you don't know what a child Keronian's eardrum looks like."

"I know what a eardrum looks like; they're not different depending on your age. This looks like a different species'."

"I'm going to bed." She grabbed her plate and stormed off into the hallway where she bumped into Toruru.

"Hey, watch it kid." He said bluntly.

"Sorry." She said sarcastically and walked to her room. She set her food down onto her desk, and for the first time in what seemed like a long time, she cried, "They treat us like rats if they find out...just like those scientists. They won't see us as an individual. They won't see that we have emotions too. 'Don't worry about being yourself?' They'll see us as a pest if that ever happens." That night, she couldn't sleep for even the slightest second.


	6. A Long Chapter, Hopefuly Worth the Wait

Kanana woke up in the middle of the night, expecting Karoro to be right next to her. She realized that she was alone, which was fine with her. She got up to take a walk around. She was probably up for only five minutes before she heard a door open behind her.

"What are you doing up?" It was Toruru, with an earbud in his ear and ipod in his hand.

"I'm surprised you could even hear me." She laughed.

"Very funny. The music's practically on mute." He sighed, "For someone who complained about not being in the same room as her brother, you sure are fine with being alone."

"I'm fine with separation. Karoro, on the other hand... I think he has separation anxiety."

"And you were just looking out for him?"

"Yeah. He was only consciously separated from me once in five years."

"So, you guys were separated for your first two years."

"No, it's not like that. Strangely, my memory dates back to when I was eighteen months old, and I remember spending most of the time with him."

"So, explain why you say 'in five years.' How did you two get separated?"

"I must apologize, but that information is classified."

"Classified from a teammate that usually stays silent?"

"Classified to anyone who wouldn't believe me."

"Does it have to do with scientists?"

"Like I said, it's classified."

"But your brother had fear in his eyes when he first saw Koruru, and when he said, 'The scientists have labcoats too.' I was just wondering if there was a link."

"Give it time, and eventually you'll find out, but you're never going to hear it from me or my brother."

"You stubborn brat. I don't know why I bother." There was silence for probably a minute.

"What are you listening to? It sounds like Pekoponian Japanese, but in a rhythmic form."

"You shouldn't be able to hear it."

"It's faint, but I can hear it."

"It's the song 'Invisible' by Mafumafu and Piko."

"Song? What's a song?"

"Have you been living under a rock?" He sighed. She knew she could actually answer yes to this question since she did live in an underground base, "I don't know how to explain it well, but it's a story, sometimes in a different language, in a rhythmic tune. Some times it's sad, others show a glimmer of hope... I really don't know how to elaborate any further." He laughed.

"Well, can I listen?" She giggled in a childish manner (the same childish manner that got her extra food in desperate times).

"Sure, I guess." He sat down and leaned against a wall. Kanana sat next to him and took his other earbud. A different rhythm came from the device.

"Hibiku KAATEN KOORU yamanai kassai Motto motto hibikasete? Kaien BUZAA maku ga agatta 1, 2, 3 de hajimaru yo" The tune was kind of calming, then the tempo sped up, and different voices jumped in.

"This one's called 'Crazy Night' by Vocaloid 8." He closed his eyes.

"This sounds kinda, nice. I don't quiet understand it, but it's cool."

"I like it too. I spent some time looking at translated lyrics recently, and I would suggest you don't if you don't want to ruin it."

"How so?"

"For one thing, 'Outer Science.' I can handle it, but for others it freaks them out."

"Alrighty!" She leaned onto the older Keronian's arm and unnoticeably fell asleep.

* * *

"Toruru? I thought you weren't a softy." Koruru was on his way to his early morning training.

"She was walking around the ship and woke me up." He rubbed his eyes, "I don't know her that well, and if I woke her up, she'd probably pummel me."

"I'm sure she's incapable." He chuckled.

"I don't know. I have my suspicions about the twins."

"Same here. They know things that even I didn't know or remember."

"Like what?" He slowly moved the girl on his arm to lay on the floor and took his earbud out of his ear.

"The heart cells have more Mitochondria than any other cell. I just wonder how they know that. Seven years old is a preschooler; whatever school they go to must have exponentially high expectations."

"Or they learned it from their parents."

"Their parents would've wished them goodbye, or at least escort them. I'm not even sure they have parents."

"You don't know that. Their parents probably dropped them off at the base, then left."

"Probably... When I looked into their ears, which were bleeding, there was no sign of rupture. I just don't know."

"Oh well." He stretched out, "Can I join you in training today?"

"If you can keep up this time."

"Alrighty!" He sprang up, "Lemme got get my mace."

"I'm going to shoot a few arrows while I wait."

* * *

"Kanana?" Karoro shook her older sister awake.

"What? Karoro?" She slowly got up and stretched out her arms, "How long was I out?"

"How am I supposed to know?" He looked at the earbud in her ear, "Is that yours?"

"What?" She remembered that a song was playing and she could still hear it. She took the earbud out of her ear, "This must be Toruru's. He probably forgot it. Let's go find him." She got up. They walked around cluelessly until they came upon the training room, where they saw Toruru and Koruru fighting mobile training dummies, "E-excuse me? I'm sorry if we're interrupting."

"Not at all." Koruru dodged a swing from the faceless, metallic dummy.

"Well, w-we can come back later." She sputtered.

"No, it's fine." Toruru swung his mace into the head of the robotic enemy, disabling it, "Twenty one!"

"Pick up the pace!" Koruru laughed, "I'm already at thirty!" The Keronian-sized robots sprung back up, looking fairly undamaged.

"Well," Kanana was shocked with the exterior of the mechanical target, "Toruru left his iPod with me, and I wanted to return it."

"Yea, I thought you'd notice if I took it out of your ear, so I left it with you."Toruru laughed.

"Put something on the speakers." Koruru laughed, "I wanna see if I can make fun of his Japanaphiliality."

"That's not cool, senpai."

"I'm just joking. I like the music too, ever since the Brigadier General introduced it to me."

"She's a Japanaphile too?" He snarled.

"You didn't know? She walks down the corridors singing in Japanese. For someone who hates her, though, you're a lot like her."

"Don't say that!" He snapped.

"Didn't you see her high school photos? She had that gothic aspect of attire that you have now." He laughed, turning off the program.

"You didn't have to shut that off."

"It detects Keronians. We can't have them going after the Privates."

"Hey!" The twins said in sync, "We'd be fine!"

"You wanna try, then? We'll put you guys on easy mode."

"No." They refused, "Put us on the hardest level."

"Not even the Major can handle that. I suggest you reconsider. If you pass easy mode, then you can go up the level ladder, but for now, I cannot allow you getting mortally wounded or killed."

"Fine." They sighed, "We'll go get out weapons." They ran off.

"How can they manage to stay in sync?" Koruru sat down, exhausted.

"Supposedly, they haven't been separated in five years." Toruru sat down to polish his mace with his scarf.

"That doesn't mean they would be in sync. I have a brother, and there have only been two times when we were fairly close to being in sync. They seem used to saying the same thing at the same time as each other."

"Well... do you remember that the boy seemed afraid of you yesterday?"

"Yes, he was, but his sister wasn't." He tightened the string on his bow.

"Well, there was also that time after you picked him up, when he said, 'The scientists have labcoats too.'"

"The poor thing was shaking." He sighed, leaning against the control panel.

"He saw your lab coat the first time he saw you, and he probably thought you were a scientist."

"I am technically."

"My point... Kanana seems more analytical, so she probably thought you might not be a scientist, but she still had her guard up when she first saw you."

"And?" Koruru was starting to understand what his comrade was saying.

"Well, there was also dinner. They had a glimmer of shock when they heard about our targets; the Slizonians. The food that you made was undercooked, and no matter what they said, it looked well done. The only way they could've been able to tell the difference would've been to cut it open or smell it."

"I understand where you're going at, but what exactly are you insinuating?"

"Maybe, and this is just a theory, they were test subjects for something."

"H-how did you.." Kanana sputtered, opening the door slowly.

"K-Kanana? Karoro? How much of that did you hear?" Koruru spazzed out a bit.

"All of it. Our rooms are only four doors away." Karoro poked his head through the door.

"Was my theory right, then?" Toruru sprang up.

"That information is classified." Kanana said bluntly.

"You two can trust us. What if we promise not to tell the Major?" Koruru pried. The twins looked out the door to make sure no one was their, and closed it behind them.

"Can we really trust you?" Kanana unsheathed her weapons and sat down, stroking the finely polished metal.

"Yes, you can."

"Yes, your theory is correct." Kanana looked down at the ground.

"Kanana, if the General of the Army didn't tell them, then it's unnecessary information." Karoro sat next to his sister.

"Now you think rationally? They're going to find out sooner or later, whether we 'die' on the battle field or trip on a fire pit." She just looked at the steel blade, not knowing what to do now, "Can you two please, now that you know, just treat us like individuals and not some lab rats?"

"We won't, and like we promised, we won't tell the Major, right?" Koruru nudged Toruru in the arm.

"Right." Toruru confirmed, "But, since my theory is correct, what were the tests?"

"They wanted to create a stronger soldier, so they used a different specie's DNA and injected it into us when we were born. We never knew our parents because of this." She looked down at her hands, "we developed better hearing and smell, faster cellular regeneration, the memory capacity of an adult just leaving college, and our weapon capabilities.

"That sounds like the Slizonians. Is that why you guys perked up when we were told about them?"

"Yes." She accedentily slid her finger against the recently sharpened blade, "We're not quite sure about what species' DNA we have, but we have a guess that the Slizonians' may be it." She watched the blood on her thumb drip and the wound heal. She lick the red, iron-scented liquid off of the recently wounded area.

"Does that mean you guys have that blood lust?" His voice cracked.

"Karoro doesn't, and I was almost a failed experiment because of it, but I've had specific training to cope. I'll never attack you guys, though." She giggled in her usual girlish manner.

"I don't know whether to be worried or relieved." Koruru sighed.

"You should be." Karoro laughed.

"Now, can we please start training?" Kanana stood up.

"Alright." Koruru stood up and Toruru followed, "The goal is to defeat the enemies starting from right there." He pointed at a bar that spanned from the floor to the ceiling, "You have to make it to this panel," he pointed at a podium with an illuminating red button, "and the simulation is done. It may seem like an easy task, but just you wait. Would you like to go one at a time or together?" He started typing commands into the computer-like screen.

"Alone." Kanana responded.

"Together." Karoro said at the same time as his sister. They looked at each other and reversed their responses.

"Dang. You too even disagree in sync?" Koruru chuckled.

"It's not funny." Karoro sighed.

"This is the first time we didn't agree on anything." Kanana switched from stroking her steel blade to examining her carbyne (World's strongest Carbon. Look it up... there are actually some good articles about it) blade about the same size as, but didn't look much like, the other. She was told that the extra genes in her were able to manipulate carbon (Just like the Slizonians), but she was never able to figure it out.

"I just noticed, how come those blades look different? You seem like one to prefer weapons that are similar to each other." Toruru started to walk into a room with a glass window facing the training center.

"One's carbon, the other's steel." She sighed.

"Aren't those heavy material?" Koruru looked up from the control panel.

"I think whomever made them made sure they were lightweight. Probably by using chemicals or something or other." She rambled.

"I remember when the Brigadier General used to duel wield in her sophomore year. One of her blades was some extremely lightweight alloy." He looked at the ceiling, wondering what to say, "You could almost say that all the weight was in the handle. The other one she had was steel, which probably needed the same procedure as yours inorder to make it so light. Ever since she moved onto college, though, I haven't seen her with that old steel one. She probably had to sell it for tuition or something."

"You know what, I don't think I absolutely need training right now." She spun around and walked out the door.

"K-Kanana? Wai-" Karoro ran after, and was interupted by, his slightly older sister.

"Karoro, you need to be able to cope with these situations. March back into that room right now before I dice you." She was bluffing.

"Fine, fine. No need to take all your PMS on me." He turned to walk back through the still open door.

"I-I'm WAY too young to be PMSing you Orokana ototo!" She snapped, almost proving her younger brother's case.

"Alright." He smiled a slightly wicked smile, "I'll see you on the next blood bath." He giggled at his dark humor that Kanana was never able to understand about him.

"I'll see you when you get hungry and cannot reach the shelf."

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "You manage to come up with better plans than me, so if that time does come, I might as well run to you." Later that day, Karoro had to find Koruru to get some glass out of his arm, refusing to ask his sister for help.

**Orokana ototo - Stupid Brother**


End file.
